Arizona Woman Accused of Smuggling 12 Pounds of Marijuana Into Mexico

A devout Mormon and mother of seven has been jailed in Mexico for allegedly smuggling drugs in from Arizona. Her family says this is all a big misunderstanding, and while Yannira Maldonado faces faces serious drug charges while waiting for her name to be cleared.

The trouble began when Maldonado and her husband, Gary, were in Mexico for her aunt's funeral in Hermosillo. The bus they were traveling on was stopped and searched by federales. Everyone was removed from the vehicle and authorities approached Maldonano and her husband, claiming that they found 12 pounds of marijuana beneath her seat.

Maldonano had a hearing yesterday, but remains incarcerated in Nogales on drug smuggling charges. A native of Goodyear, AZ, Maldonado had been a U.S. citizen for 17 years and has no criminal history. She'll have another hearing today where a judge will decide if there is enough evidence to move forward with the case. The judge also possesses the power to throw the case out and free her.

If convicted, Maldonado could face a maximum of 10 years in a Mexican prison.